The 2018 Farm Act removed hemp from the definition of marijuana and deemed it an agricultural commodity, a shift that has led to the creation of an industry centered around many of the same intoxicating products found at marijuana dispensaries but without the heavy regulation on how it’s produced and who can consume it.
Marijuana
Posted inMarijuana
Cannabis commission governance headed for legislative review
In a letter to House Speaker Ron Mariano, Donahue said the committee plans to hold public hearings to revisit the statute that created the commission, particularly the responsibilities and powers of the chair of the commission and its executive director.
Posted inMarijuana
Cannabis regulators move closer to removing two-driver rule
The commission voted back in December 2023 to remove the two-driver rule, a requirement that every delivery be carried out by two drivers for security purposes.
Posted inState Government
O’Brien has pocketed nearly $170,000 while suspended
O‘Brien was suspended in September 2023. The calculation of what she has been paid since being suspended is based on her $181,722 salary in 2023 ($15,143 a month) and her pay of $108,608 through the first six months of this year.
Posted inMarijuana
Cannabis Commission unveils proposed leadership changes
“This is us first recognizing that we agree that there was a need for some clarity and this is our way of addressing some of that and providing clarity in terms of who does what,” said acting Commission chair Ava Callender Concepcion.
Posted inMarijuana
Legislators wary of ‘nuclear option’ with cannabis commission
“I want to underscore, as someone who has been in the government for a long time, that receivership is a really big deal,” said Rep. Rob Consalvo of Boston, one of the vice chairs of the Joint Committee on Public Policy.
Posted inOpinion
Mass. failing on the marijuana equity front
I spent my life focused on improving the lives of Black residents of our state, helping people who don’t have the same opportunities as others. I’ve always believed the best way to do this is through building wealth in our communities, and so economics has always been a major part of my life.
Posted inMarijuana
Cannabis oversight agency needs a ‘different direction,’ Healey says
In a statement, Treasurer Goldberg acknowledged there are “many areas of concern” at the agency. “Although my office’s purview is limited to appointing one commissioner and jointly appointing two others, we recognize the need to address those concerns,” she said.
Posted inMarijuana
CCC acting chair balks at IG’s call for receiver
The challenges at the Commission are far from secret. We are committed to resolving them. In fact, we have a blueprint for a governance structure that is in its final stages of legal review and will be taken up at a public meeting.
Posted inState Government
Legislature should appoint Cannabis Control Commission receiver
At this point, I respectfully submit that there is an urgent need for the legislative leadership to take immediate action to statutorily authorize the appointment of, and appoint, a receiver with clearly delineated authority to manage the day-to-day operations of the CCC.